Double-slit photoelectron interference in strong-field ionization of the neon dimer

Double-slit photoelectron interference in strong-field ionization of the neon dimer

2019 | Maksim Kunitski, Nicolas Eicke, Pia Huber, Jonas Köhler, Stefan Zeller, Jörg Voigtsberger, Nikolai Schlott, Kevin Henrichs, Hendrik Sann, Florian Trinter, Lothar Ph.H. Schmidt, Anton Kalinin, Markus S. Schöffler, Till Jahnke, Manfred Lein & Reinhard Dörner
This study reports the observation of two-center photoelectron interference in the ionization of neon dimer (Ne₂) by a strong laser field. The experiment demonstrates that wave-particle duality, a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics, persists even under strong-field ionization conditions. The interference pattern was observed in the molecular-frame photoelectron momentum distribution, showing distinct fringes in both circular and linear polarized laser fields. The interference arises from the spatial separation of the two electron wave packets emitted from the two centers of the Ne₂ molecule. By post-selecting the dissociation channels of the residual Ne₂⁺ ion, the researchers were able to observe both gerade and ungerade types of interference, corresponding to different orbital symmetries. The experiment involved ionizing Ne₂ with a 40 fs, 780 nm laser field at intensities of 7.3 × 10¹⁴ W cm⁻² (circular polarization) and 1.2 × 10¹⁵ W cm⁻² (linear polarization). The photoelectron momentum distributions were measured using COLTRIMS, revealing interference patterns that were well-reproduced by theoretical models based on two-center interference. The results show that the interference is influenced by the symmetry of the molecular orbitals and the Coulomb field of the parent ion. The study also provides insights into the bond length of Ne₂ by analyzing the ion momentum and interference patterns, demonstrating the potential of two-center interference for measuring molecular structures in strong-field ionization. The findings confirm that the double-slit interference, a hallmark of quantum mechanics, can be observed in molecular systems under strong laser fields. This opens new avenues for studying molecular ionization processes and fundamental quantum phenomena in ultrafast time scales. The results highlight the importance of symmetry and orbital structure in determining the interference patterns and provide a deeper understanding of the role of quantum coherence in molecular systems.This study reports the observation of two-center photoelectron interference in the ionization of neon dimer (Ne₂) by a strong laser field. The experiment demonstrates that wave-particle duality, a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics, persists even under strong-field ionization conditions. The interference pattern was observed in the molecular-frame photoelectron momentum distribution, showing distinct fringes in both circular and linear polarized laser fields. The interference arises from the spatial separation of the two electron wave packets emitted from the two centers of the Ne₂ molecule. By post-selecting the dissociation channels of the residual Ne₂⁺ ion, the researchers were able to observe both gerade and ungerade types of interference, corresponding to different orbital symmetries. The experiment involved ionizing Ne₂ with a 40 fs, 780 nm laser field at intensities of 7.3 × 10¹⁴ W cm⁻² (circular polarization) and 1.2 × 10¹⁵ W cm⁻² (linear polarization). The photoelectron momentum distributions were measured using COLTRIMS, revealing interference patterns that were well-reproduced by theoretical models based on two-center interference. The results show that the interference is influenced by the symmetry of the molecular orbitals and the Coulomb field of the parent ion. The study also provides insights into the bond length of Ne₂ by analyzing the ion momentum and interference patterns, demonstrating the potential of two-center interference for measuring molecular structures in strong-field ionization. The findings confirm that the double-slit interference, a hallmark of quantum mechanics, can be observed in molecular systems under strong laser fields. This opens new avenues for studying molecular ionization processes and fundamental quantum phenomena in ultrafast time scales. The results highlight the importance of symmetry and orbital structure in determining the interference patterns and provide a deeper understanding of the role of quantum coherence in molecular systems.
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